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Numbers 3:43

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The total number of the firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 43

This chapter and the next are concerning the tribe of Levi, which was to be mustered and marshalled by itself, and not in common with the other tribes, intimating the particular honour put upon them and the particular duty and service required from them. The Levites are in this chapter considered, I. As attendants on, and assistants to, the priests in the temple-service. And so we have an account, 1. Of the priests themselves (Num 3:1-4) and their work (Num 3:10). 2. Of the gift of the Levites to them (Num 3:5-9), in order to which they are mustered (Num 3:14-16), and the sum of them taken (Num 3:39). Each particular family of them is mustered, has its place assigned and its charge, the Gershonites (Num 3:17-26), the Kohathites (Num 3:27-32), the Merarites (Num 3:33-39). II. As equivalents for the first-born (Num 3:11-13). 1. The first-born are numbered, and the Levites taken instead of them, as far as the number of the Levites went (Num 3:40-45). 2. What first-born there were more than the Levites were redeemed (Num 3:46, etc.).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 43

בְּכוֹר (bᵉkôwr, H1060) — firstborn; hence, chief זָכָר (zâkâr, H2145) — properly, remembered, i.e. a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex) מִסְפָּר (miçpâr, H4557) — a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also… שֵׁם (shêm, H8034) — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority,… חֹדֶשׁ (chôdesh, H2320) — the new moon; by implication, a month בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… מַעַל (maʻal, H4605) — properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from… פָּקַד (pâqad, H6485) — to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care… עֶשְׂרִים (ʻesrîym, H6242) — twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth שְׁנַיִם (shᵉnayim, H8147) — two; also (as ordinal) twofold אֶלֶף (ʼeleph, H505) — hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as… מֵאָה (mêʼâh, H3967) — a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction שִׁבְעִים (shibʻîym, H7657) — seventy שָׁלוֹשׁ (shâlôwsh, H7969) — three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Numbers 3:39rank 2

The total number of Levites that Moses and Aaron counted by their clans at the LORD’s command, including all the males a month old or more, was 22,000.

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